RAD arm position names

[eunheejun]

Dear RAD teachers:

 

Could you describe arms in RAD third and fourth positions for me? I thought that the third was one arm in second plus one arm raised over head, and that the fourth is one arm in first and one arm raised overhead. But my teacher called the latter fourth closed. And now I am totally confused as to what the difference between fourth open and third. I am going to ask my teacher in my next class anyway, but just couldn't wait. Thank you for your information in advance!

 

Eun Hee

[Mel Johnson]

There is a problem with RAD that isn't that serious, but confusing when you try to write or say the name of a position. The Academy has changed the names from time to time, and if you get a teacher who was taught by someone who learned the terminology in the 1930s, it's going to be different today. Yes, right now, fourth is one arm in first, one in fifth. In old RAD, you're also going to find that it's one arm in bras bas, the other in fifth. That was called "low fourth". Third is still one arm in second, one in fifth. It once was also called "bras croisé" when the arm that was in fifth went to first. When it went to bras bas, that was "low third". It's just names. The way you do them doesn't change.

[CDR]

RAD 3rd is one arm in 2nd, one arm in 1st.

 

RAD 4th is one arm in 2nd, one arm in 5th.

 

With one arm in 1st and one arm in 5th, RAD would refer to it as 4th crossed.

[Mel Johnson]

See, that's probably current usage. I learned RAD port de bras in the 60s, and I know that the names have changed since then. When RAD was first founded, they pretty much used all Cecchetti terminology.

[eunheejun]

Thank you all for your information. That helps a lot!

 

Eun HEe